You Are Special by Max Lucado

Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Age range: 9-12
Summary: There is nothing in the book that would be considered offensive. Punchinello is a little wooden person (called a Wemmick). It is customary for Wemmicks to roam around all day long giving each other either stickers—dots and stars. Dots are for when the Wemmicks do something wrong while stars are for when the Wemmicks do impressive things. Punchinello had been given lots of dots for one reason or another. Whether because he forgot his hat, or tripped on his way down the street. Needless to say, Punchinello felt very sorry for himself. Until one day, when he met a Wemmick with no dots and no stars at all. He inquired as to how she kept the stickers from sticking. She replied that she went to go see Eli, the woodcarver (their maker), everyday. Punchinello contemplated her advice, and eventually went to go see Eli. Eli did not judge Punchinello for his bad marks, and Punchinello asked how the girl Wemmick he met kept all of the stickers off. Eli replied that it was because she did not care what all of the other Wemmicks thought. She only cared what Eli thought. Eli promised that if Punchinello came to visit him everyday, that the stickers wouldn’t stick to him either. Punchinello asked why Eli would want to see him everyday. Eli replied that it was because he made Punchinello, and because he didn’t make mistakes. As Punchinello headed home, he thought, “I think he really means it.” And at that, one of Punchinello’s many dots hit the floor. The story is a charming tale about self-worth and repentance. Eli represents Heavenly Father, and his love toward Punchinello is unconditional not unlike our Heavenly Father’s love for us.